> Digital Equipment Corporation today further demonstrated its solid
> commitment to the Java(tm) development community by announcing
> availability of the Java Development Kit (JDK) Version 1.1.1 with
> POSIX threads, and the super-fast Digital Just-In-Time (JIT) Java
> compiler for Digital UNIX. The software tools run on Digital's
> high-performance 64-bit Alpha systems. Digital also announced that an
> Alpha system has posted world-record Java CaffeineMark performance
> figures, and world-record jBYTEmark performance for UNIX.
Guess I hadn't been paying much attention, but this is the first marketing
glitz I've seen regarding their commitment. They'll get it right eventually,
not that you and I will live to see the day.
> "Today's news underscores Digital's position as the premier provider of
> systems, software and services for Internet- and intranet-based business
> computing," said Don Harbert, vice president, Internet product
> management and development. "Digital's long lead in 64-bit UNIX
> computing, our proven compiler know-how, and our support of open
> standards create a compelling environment for developers and businesses
> looking to build and deploy high-performance commercial Java
> applications."
> Support for POSIX Threads, VLM Opens Way for
> Industrial-Strength Java Applications
> Digital's strategy for Java developers is to deliver the latest in Java
> functionality and innovation. Digital's approach ensures that developers
> can fully utilize Java to more easily build the enterprise-class Internet
> and intranet applications demanded by their customers and users.
> Digital is a leading early implementer of POSIX threads support in a
> JDK. This allows Java developers to create applications that take
> advantage of multiple processors. This is especially important for
> distributed, event-driven business applications such as transaction
> processing, database applications and systems and network management.
> Digital's JDK support for open, standards-based POSIX threads also
> enables the use of many popular middleware products.
> In addition to supporting symmetric multiprocessing, applications that
> enjoy the many advantages of 64-bit Very Large Memory (VLM) on
> Digital AlphaServer systems can now interface easily with Java
> applications running on those systems. This is another Java first from
> Digital, and is especially critical for data warehousing applications such
> as customer-information systems in the financial services industry or
> patient-information systems in the healthcare industry. Digital's Alpha
> Trumps Hewlett Packard in UNIX CaffeineMark and jBYTEmark
> Testing
> A Digital AlphaStation 500/500 running DIGITAL UNIX has attained
> the fastest CaffeineMark benchmark figure produced by any UNIX
> vendor's system. Digital's JIT compiler attained a CaffeineMark 2.01
> score of 3,674. This is 62 percent faster than the 2,268 score attained by
> the yet-to-be-available HP Domain PA-RISC 8200. These results mark
> Digital UNIX as the new Java performance leader. Further proof of
> Digital's leadership are its jBYTEmark Integer Index of 21.8 compared
> to HP's score of 8.42; and a jBYTEmark FP Index of 18.3 compared to
> HP's score of 7.12.
> This performance lead joins Digital's performance lead on the Java
> Internet terminal or "NC." Digital's StrongARM-based Internet
> terminal prototype recently posted the top CaffeineMark figures for
> JavaOS and the HotJava browser.
> Digital's JDK V1.1.1 beta kit and JIT compiler are available for free and
> can be downloaded from
> http://www.unix.digital.com/products/internet/java.html.
Guess I'd better get around to upgrading to V4 now.
Cheers,
Wayne